Dominee 'compulsive gambler'
2004-02-08 07:20
Virginia Keppler and Lukas Meyer
Pretoria - While police were searching and his congregation was praying, a "hijacked" dominee was gambling in a desperate bid to overcome his financial troubles.
It was also not the first time the 40-year-old Ds Paul Beyl "disappeared" to go gambling. About a year ago, he also disappeared after signing in at a gambling house without informing anybody about his whereabouts.
Beyl went missing about ten days ago. Everything pointed to hijacking.
His wife said he had gone outside to pull his car into the garage, upon which she heard yells and screeching tyres. She assumed he had been hijacked and informed the police.
An extensive search was launched and the worried congregation spent hours praying for his safe return.
Although Beyl heard about his so-called hijacking on television news, he failed to call his wife or police to let them know his whereabouts. The next day he reported to Johannesburg Central police station, from where he phoned his wife.
Explanation
He initially told police three men had hijacked him and driven him around blindfolded. They eventually dropped him somewhere along a highway, from where he made his way to the police station.
Police didn't totally believe his story, as the pieces didn't quite fit together.
He eventually admitted that he had been lying. In a second statement, he told them that he had been at Gold Reef City, that he had left his car in Arcadia, Pretoria, and that he had been gambling.
He was arrested for perjury.
He appeared in the Pretoria magistrate's court subsequently and was released on bail.
He later announced his resignation as dominee from the Evangelical Reformed Church Wonderboom.
"He's apparently addicted to gambling, and he just can't rehabilitate," someone close to the investigation said.
The church has appointed someone to look after his finances.
Beyl will appear in court again on February 19. His legal costs are being covered by donations by the church council, members of the congregation and community members.